Ventilator assembly



Filed May 20, 1949 l. GREEN VENTILATOR ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug., l, 1950 a. GREEN 2,517,303

VENTILATOR ASSEMBLY l Filed May 20; 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug.y 1, 1950 UNITED vSTATI-:s PATENT OFFICE,

2,517,303 A vENTILA'roR `assimilata* Irving Green, Daytona Beach, Fla. Application May 20, 1949, serial Nd. 94,403

This invention relates to ventilator assemblies, and :more particularly to manually-operated ventilator assemblies for use in vehicles, such as busses, trailers, and boats.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved ventilator assembly including a vertically movable, dished'cover which overhangs the ventilator opening in a vehicle roof, top or deck, on all sides sumciently to prevent rain from entering the opening under normal wind conditions, while permitting a free flow `of air through such openings, and` which includes manually-operated cover-moving means which eliminates the usual cover-mounting hinges and other easily breakable parts and which imparts a large movement to the cover in proportion to the manual movement of the cover-moving means,`

inwhich the cover is rigidly supported in both closed and opened positions and which assembly may be easily substituted for an existing ventilator assembly without material modication of the vehicle structure, and is simple, durable, and economical in construction, and not subject to malfunctioning in use. l

Other objects and advantages Willbecome apparent from a consideration of the following des'cription and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a, longitudinal, medial cross-section through a ventilator assembly illustrative of the invention, the section plane being substantially vertical when the assembly is in operative position; l l l l Figure 2 is a substantially medial, transverse cross-section of the ventilator `assembly illustrated in Figure 1, and is taken substantially on theline 2--2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section of i :a

fragmentary portion of the assembly taken subl, stantially on the line 3-3 of Figure `Land illusl 2 claims. (c1. sis-sl or elliptical, without, in any way, aiecting the scope of the present invention. l The ventilator assembly of the present invention comprises a frame I3 attached to the bottom edge of the iiange I2 and surrounding the venof inverted, `channel-shaped cross-section, but `may have `other cross-sectional shapes, as may` be found convenient or desirable.

The bearing plate Il is provided, substantially at its center, with an aperture I3, and an inverted, U-shaped bracket I9 is secured at its opposite` ends to the bars I5 and I6 respectively and overlies the bearing plate I1, this bracket being provided, at its `mid-length location, with an aperture 20 which is in alignment with the aperture I8 in the bearing plate Il.

An externally screw-threaded, tubular shaft I2I is journaled near one end in the aperture I8 in the bearing plate I1 and extends from the bearing plate I1 to a position adjacent the intermediate portion or bight 22 of the bracket I9.

A bearing collar 23lisprovided on the shaft 2I `hat theside of the bearing plate I'I adjacent the bracket I9 to bear on the bearing plate and support the Weight of the cover I4, and a hand crank 24 is secured to the shaft 2I atthe side of the `bearing plate I"I remote from the bracket IQ forV rotating the shaft. The crank may be conveniently secured to the shaft by means of :a bolt` or screw 25 extending through an aperturein the crank `and threaded into the internally,

, Lscrew-threaded bore end portion of the shaft 2 I.

link sub-assembly also constituting an operative component of the ventilator assembly.

`With continued reference to the drawings, the i numeral I Il generally indicates a vehicle top, such` asthe roof of a bus or trailer or tlriedeck` of a boat which top is provided with a ventilator opening II surrounded by a depending or inwardly-extending ange I2. While the opening II is ilustrated as square or rectangular, it may be of any other desired shape, such as circular The dished cover I4 has a generally convex outer side and `a generally concave inner side and a cylindricalistem 26 is secured at one end to the cover I4 substantiallyat the center of the concave, inner side of the cover, .and projects perpendicularly from the cover. This stem `passes through the aperture 20 in the bracket I9 :andiis slidably receivedin the tubular shaft 2 I.

`One pair of levers 21 is pivotally connectedmat i corresponding` ends to the cross-bar I5 at locations substantiallyequally spaced from theimid- 00 location of this cross-bar. Two elongated guides or guide bars 29 and 30 are secured in spacedapart, substantially parallel relationship to the cover I4 at the inner side of the latter, and are disposed substantially parallel to corresponding cross-bars I5 and I6 in the frame I3. The guide bar 29 has, adjacent each end thereof, an elongated slot 3| enlarged at one end to provide an opening 32 and the guide bar 3i) has similar slots 3l positioned one adjacent each end of the bar. Rollers 33 are disposed in the guide bar Slots and are movable longitudinally of these slots. The upper end of each of the levers 2l and 28 is connected to a roller 33, the two levers 21 being connected to rollers carried by the guide bar 29 and the two levers 28 being connected to rollers carried by the guide bar 30.

A strut 34 is connected at its opposite ends t0 one of the levers 21 and one of the levers 28 respectively, the two levers to which the strut is connected being disposed at the same side of the tubular shaft Zi and a similar strut 33 is connected at its opposite ends to the other two levers 2'! and 2,3 respectively.

A nut 36 is threaded onto the external screw threads .3? of the tubular shaft 2|, and a link 38 connects the strut 34 to the nut 33 while a similar link 39 connects the strut 35 to the nut.

In the arrangement illustrated the struts are pivotally connected to the corresponding levers the respective links are rigidly secured `to the struts substantially at the mid-length locations of the latter, and the levers are pivotally connected to the nut 33, the nut being providedwith outwardly-extending apertured lugs at diametricallyopposite positions for attachment of the corresponding ends of the links thereto.

With this construction, when the crank 24 is turned in one direction, the levers 2l and 28 will be moved to move the cover I4 away from the base I3, and when the crank 2li is turned in the opposite direction, thecover will be moved toward the base until it rests upon the yvehicle top I0.

A ledge 40 is provided on the upper surface of the top I0 surrounding the Ventilating opening I I within the dished cover M to obstruct the pas- -ment is, therefore, to be considered in all re-v spects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description,`

and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein'.l

What is claimed is:

1. A ventilator assembly for a4 vehicle top having a Ventilating opening therein comprising` a frame attachable to a vehicle top surroundinga Ventilating opening, a pair of spaced-apart bars extending transversely across said frame, la bearing plate extending between said bars substantially at the mid-length locationsl of vthe latter and having a centrally-located aperture' therethrough, an inverted, U-shaped bracket secured.

45.. sage of rain or other air-borne liquid through` said 'nut for moving 'said cover' toward or away` from said frame upon rotation of said shaft' in at its ends to said bars and overlying said bearing plate, said bracket having iat its mid-length location an aperture in alignment with the aperture in said bearing plate, van externally screw-threaded,

V4 tubular shaft journaled near one end in the aperture in said bearing plate and extending from said bearing plate substantially to the midlength portion of said U-shaped bracket, a. bearing collar on said shaftat the side of said bearing plate adjacent said bracket, a crank secured to said shaft at the side of said bearing plate rem-Ote from said bracket, a dished cover having a concave inner side and a convex outer side and a size to marginally overhang the Ventilating opening, a stem secured at one end to said lcover substantially at the center of the concave side of the latter and projecting perpendicularly from said cover, said stem extending through the aperture in said bracket and being slidably received in said tubular shaft, a pair ofspaced-apart, slotted guides secured to said cover at the concave side of the latter, rollers disposed in the guide slots and movable longitudinally ,thereoil respective pairs of spaced-apart levers pivotally connected at corresponding ends to said'bars and at their opposite ends to respective rollers,- respective struts inter-connecting corresponding levers of said two pair of. levers intermediate the lengths of said levers, a nut threaded on said tubular shaft and respective links pivotally connecting said struts to said nut whereby said cover will be `moved awayfrom said Vbase when Said crank is turned in one direction and will turned in the opposite direction.

2. A ventilator assembly for avehicle top having `a Ventilating opening therein comprising a be moved toward said base when saidcrank is frame surrounding the opening vat the inner side of the top andY rigidly secured to the latter, a cover4 overlying the opening at the outer side of thetop, and means including manually-movable mechanism inter-connected between said frame and said cover for supporting said cover substantially parallel to said frame and moving said cover `toward andaWay from said frame, said means comprising a support structure secured to and extending across said frame, an externally screwthreaded, tubular shaft journaled near one end in said support structure and extending substantially perpendicularly to said frame toward said cover, astem secured at one end tol said cover and extending substantially perpendicularly from the latter toward said frame, said stem being slid- .ably` received in said `tubular shaft, a traveling nut threaded onto said tubular shaft, means-connected to said'tubular shaft at 'the end thereof remote from said `cover for manually `rotating said I shaft, and link and lever mechanism connected between said support structure, said cover and Number Name e Date 1,086,160 Graef Feb. 3, 1914 1,727,931 Mead Sept. 10,1929 1,748,863 Burke Feb. 25, 1930 1,820,430. Bombard et al Aug, 25, l1931 Tappert .Ma'y 24, 1932 

